Liquid and powdered medication are commonly packaged in a glass ampule at the factory. The glass completely encapsulates the medication and is ideal in that glass is substantially inert, non-reactive, and non-absorptive. The seal effectively preserves the medication in a sterile or asceptic condition. At the time of use, the ampule, which has a necked-down area, viz, an area of reduced cross section in proximity to its upper end located above the fill level of the medication, is manually broken by the digital application of flexing force which separates the upper and lower portions of the ampule along a jagged, glassy edge at the necked-down area. The physician or nurse subsequently withdraw the medicinal contents of the ampule, such as with a hypodermic syringe.
The problem in the art has been that the breaking of the glass ampules to permit the wihdrawal of the medicinal contents has exposed medical personnel to the risk of cut fingers on the jagged glassy edge. More seriously, due to impefections in the glass, or abuse in transit and handling, the ampule not infrequently contains a hair line crack which parts when the digital flexing pressure is applied to open the ampule, with the consequence that the ampule comes apart in the hands and inflicts serious lacerations and cuts to the fingers and hands.
The present invention solves this serious and long-standing problem is a surprisingly simple way. It is to be expected that the novel protective hand tool of this invention will be widely and rapidly adopted by medical personnel.